Electric seam-welding apparatus.



R. MA

ELECTRIC SEAM WEL PPARATUS. APPLICATIONF D I], I912.

1,135,539. Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

U Mmm/r WITNESSES UNITED STATES P T NT OFFICE. I

RICHARD MACK, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THOMSON ELECTRIC WELDING COMPANY, 01 LYNN,

MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC SEAM-WELDING APPARATUS.

' electrically welding the seams of pipes, cylinders or other metal work.

' The'object of the invention is to provide a simple, efficient apparatus for welding the longitudinal seams in metal work of various kinds and to this end consists in supplying the'heating electric current to the work and applying the welding pressure thereto in a new and'improved manner.

this invention. the heating current is supplied by means of brushes, preferably stationary, which feed the current to the work from both sides of the seam to be welded. A separate pressure device is employed, preferably in the form of a roller,

'- cordance with this invention.

which, since it does not conduct any current can be made of hard material such as steel,-

thus avoiding continual trimming of the roller and allowing a great pressure to be exerteddirectly on or in close proximity to the seam.

Y The invention consists in the improved electric welding apparatus hereinafter more particularly described and then specified in the claims. 2 3] In the accompan' g-"drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic xvi'ew'f'of portions of an apparatus arranged in accordance with this invention. Fi 2 is a diagrammatic section through a mo ified form of apparatus in acplan view of the form shown in Fig. 2.

In the drawings a. indicates the pipe the edges of which are to be preferably buttv welded. This'pipe or cylinder is held in any suitable form of clamps or support and the heatingelectric current is introduced theretd through brushesb and 0 isolated from each other and each minal of the source of current supply as for Specification of Letters Patent.

work and non-conducting connected to one ter- Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

1 Application filed September 17, 1912. Serial No. 720,714.

- instance a transformer as is usual'in the art.

The necessary welding pressure is applied by two rollers or cylinders 05, d placed one on each side of the seam to be welded. The brushes in this instance make direct contact with the walls of the pipe :1 and move along such surface. Y

To get the best effect, the pressure rollers d and d are placed in line with'the brushes b and a and thepipe is fed along, the rollers and brushes remaining stationary. It will be understood that the pipe may remain stationary, if desired, and the brushes and rollers fed along. y

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the pipe or cylinder a is held between clamps or platens e and a movable toward each other by an eccentric lever g, the pipe being gripped by jaws f f on either side of the seam to be welded. In this case the brushes b, 0 rub on the surface of the jaws f, f and supply current to the work. d indicates the pressure roller which runs along the abutted edges and serves to also flatten down the burr as well as apply the welding pressure. As this roller should not conduct current from one edge of the pipe to the other, it is provided with an insulated surface where the roller contacts with the work. In practice the layer of oxide or dirt which forms on the surface of the pipe is sufiicient, but if desirable, a layer of insulation such as mica or other suitable material may be provided on the-periphery of the roller.

It will be understood that the drawings herein shown are diagrammatic and for the purpose of illustration only, electric welding machines and their operation in general being now so well known that detailed description is herein deemed unnecessary.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In an electric seam welding apparatus, the combination of current supplying electrodes making a wiping contact with the pressure rollers located between said electrodes.

2. In an electric seam welding apparatus the combination of brushes adapted to sup- Signed at Berlin, Germany, this third day ply current to the Work by direct wiping of September, A. D. 1912.

contact with the surface at opposite sides of RICHARD MACK. the seam and a pair of non-conducting pres- Witnesses: 5 sure rollers adapted to apply pressure to the JULIUS RUMBACH,

Work at each side of the seam. ALFRED WOLF. 

